Church Clothes

What do you wear to church on a typical Sunday? Maybe you like to wear your Sunday best, or perhaps you opt for everyday casual wear. What if instead you had to wear a disguise?

Church Clothes

This week's devotions are written by my friend Jessica Hermann, former director of our college ministry at Great Hills Baptist Church.

- Pastor Danny

What do you wear to church on a typical Sunday? Maybe you like to wear your Sunday best, or perhaps you opt for everyday casual wear. Have you ever spent more time than you care to admit picking out an outfit for church on Sunday? I myself have always loved seeing those families who pull off wearing matching outfits on special days like Easter Sunday.

How about this? How would you like to wear something like this next Sunday? Or how would you feel if your pastor got up on Sunday wearing this?

Well, during the Scottish Reformation, one preacher had to wear this exact mask when traveling to preach in the fields all around Scotland in order to conceal his identity to avoid arrest.

Kinda scary looking, isn't it?

His name was Alexander Peden, and when persecution ramped up, Peden and many others like him had to preach in open fields outside of the city to spread the Gospel message. Peden quickly became one of the most well known "field preachers" in Scotland, but this came with a price. He was a wanted man.

It was illegal during the times of the Scottish Reformation to preach the Gospel. English Bibles were also banned, and reading one or even owning one was a criminal offense. This kept the hope of the Gospel message away from most. People who went to church could not confirm whether what the clergy were teaching them was biblical since they never heard the actual Scriptures in a language they could understand. However, if history has taught us one thing, it is clear that the Gospel cannot be stopped.

While I don't know all of Peden's theology, I am encouraged by a man who would travel all across a country concealing his own face so that the Gospel would no longer be concealed from those who had not yet heard it.

In 1686, Peden wrote a letter to a group of Christian prisoners in Dunnottar Castle. He exhorted them, saying, "When it is come to your door either to sin or suffer, I counsel you to lay your count with suffering, for an outgate coming out of any other airth (direction) will be prejudicial to your soul's interest."

What a choice: suffer or sin! In my flesh, I'd be wishing for a third option. But there was none to be found for Peden or the prisoners alike. They were faced with a choice: proclaim salvation by grace alone through faith alone and suffer, or deny Christ and His Gospel and thus sin. Thankfully, God gives us grace and encouragement in His Word for those who suffer for Christ.

"But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil."

(1 Peter 3:14-17)

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Podcast of the Week

Let's Talk Story, Pt. 2

Everyone loves a good story! God has embedded within the human mind and heart enjoyment of great stories. Jesus knew the power of stories, sharing parables throughout his ministry. In this episode, Pastor Danny continues discussing Paul's account of his testimony before a very hostile crowd, what we can learn from it, and how we can be bolder and better about sharing our own testimony with others.

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